May 18, 2013
There were some tense moments Thursday at the Georgia state capitol after one lawmaker called Gov. Sonny Perdue a racist.
It happened during a debate on the proposed state flag.
State Sen. Mary Squires, who is white, says she was prompted to speak out after her young son asked her why the governor didn't like black people.
So she told colleagues that the governor was a racist and that's why he wants to hold a referendum over the state flag, which could give people the chance to reinstate the flag dominated by the confederate battle emblem.
Governor Perdue vehemently denied being a racist. The flag bill which passed the House would drop the current state flag adopted in 2001 and put a new referendum on the ballot.
It gives voters a choice between a new flag, and if that fails, voters would be given a second choice between the 1956 flag and the one containing a battle emblem.
